Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Nikon D3300 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in September 2008 and January 2014. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a full frame (5D Mark II) and an APS-C (D3300) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 21 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 24 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their sensors, their features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D3300. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Nikon D3300 is considerably smaller (30 percent) than the Canon 5D Mark II. Moreover, the D3300 is substantially lighter (49 percent) than the 5D Mark II. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 5D Mark II is splash and dust resistant,
while the D3300 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist.
You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (5D Mark II) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D3300).

Concerning battery life, the 5D Mark II gets 850 shots out of its LP-E6 battery,
while the D3300 can take 700 images on a single charge of its EN-EL14a power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D3300 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 86 percent) than the 5D Mark II, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 5D Mark II features a full frame sensor and the Nikon D3300
an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the D3300 is 58 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of underlying technology, both cameras are build around CMOS sensors.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the D3300 offers a higher
resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 21 MP of the 5D Mark II.
This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 6.41μm for the 5D Mark II). However, it should be noted that the D3300 is much more recent (by 5 years and 3 months) than the 5D Mark II, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D3300 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 50-25600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D3300 are ISO 100 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600..

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Canon 5D Mark II»

Full Frame

21.0

5616

3744

1080/30p

23.7

11.9

1815

79

Canon 5D Mark II

Nikon D3300«

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.3

12.8

1385

82

Nikon D3300

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

Full Frame

20.0

5472

3648

4K/60p

24.1

13.5

3207

88

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5D Mark IV«»

Full Frame

30.1

6720

4480

4K/30p

24.8

13.6

2995

91

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5DS«»

Full Frame

50.3

8688

5792

1080/60p

24.7

12.4

2381

87

Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R«»

Full Frame

50.3

8688

5792

1080/60p

24.6

12.4

2308

86

Canon 5DS R

Canon 5D Mark III«»

Full Frame

22.1

5760

3840

1080/30p

24.0

11.7

2293

81

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 6D«»

Full Frame

20.0

5472

3648

1080/30p

23.8

12.1

2340

82

Canon 6D

Canon 1D X«»

Full Frame

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

23.8

11.8

2786

82

Canon 1D X

Canon 7D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.0

11.7

854

66

Canon 7D

Canon 1Ds Mark III«»

Full Frame

21.0

5616

3744

-

24.0

12.0

1663

80

Canon 1Ds Mark III

Canon 5D«»

Full Frame

12.7

4368

2912

-

22.9

11.1

1368

71

Canon 5D

Nikon D5600«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.1

14.0

1306

84

Nikon D5600

Nikon D3400«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.8

13.9

1192

86

Nikon D3400

Nikon D5500«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.1

14.0

1438

84

Nikon D5500

Nikon D5300«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.0

13.9

1338

83

Nikon D5300

Nikon D3200«»

APS-C

24.1

6016

4000

1080/30p

24.1

13.2

1131

81

Nikon D3200

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the D3300 provides a faster frame rate than the 5D Mark II. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 5D Mark II and the D3300 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D3300 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Shutter speed (1/sec)

Shutter flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Canon 5D Mark II»

optical

Y

3.0

920

fixed

n

8000

3.9

n

n

Canon 5D Mark II

Nikon D3300«

optical

n

3.0

921

fixed

n

4000

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D3300

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

optical

Y

3.2

1620

fixed

Y

8000

16.0

n

n

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5D Mark IV«»

optical

Y

3.2

1620

fixed

Y

8000

7.0

n

n

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5DS«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

8000

5.0

n

n

Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

8000

5.0

n

n

Canon 5DS R

Canon 5D Mark III«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

8000

6.0

n

n

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 6D«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

fixed

n

4000

4.5

n

n

Canon 6D

Canon 1D X«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

8000

14.0

n

n

Canon 1D X

Canon 7D«»

optical

Y

3.0

920

fixed

n

8000

8.0

Y

n

Canon 7D

Canon 1Ds Mark III«»

optical

Y

3.0

230

fixed

n

8000

5.0

n

n

Canon 1Ds Mark III

Canon 5D«»

optical

Y

2.5

230

fixed

n

8000

3.0

n

n

Canon 5D

Nikon D5600«»

optical

n

3.2

1037

swivel

Y

4000

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D5600

Nikon D3400«»

optical

n

3.0

921

fixed

n

4000

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D3400

Nikon D5500«»

optical

n

3.2

1037

swivel

Y

4000

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D5500

Nikon D5300«»

optical

n

3.2

1037

swivel

n

4000

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D5300

Nikon D3200«»

optical

n

3.0

921

fixed

n

4000

4.0

Y

n

Nikon D3200

One feature that is present on the 5D Mark II, but is missing on the D3300 is a top-level LCD.
While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

Connectivity comparison: Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Nikon D3300 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Canon 5D Mark II»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 5D Mark II

Nikon D3300«

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D3300

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5D Mark IV«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5DS«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 5DS R

Canon 5D Mark III«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 6D«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Canon 6D

Canon 1D X«»

Y

mono

-

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1D X

Canon 7D«»

Y

mono

-

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 7D

Canon 1Ds Mark III«»

Y

-

-

-

-

-

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1Ds Mark III

Canon 5D«»

Y

-

-

-

-

-

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 5D

Nikon D5600«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Nikon D5600

Nikon D3400«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

Y

Nikon D3400

Nikon D5500«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Nikon D5500

Nikon D5300«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Nikon D5300

Nikon D3200«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D3200

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Canon 5D Mark II (unlike the D3300) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights
can be controlled by the camera.

Both the 5D Mark II and the D3300 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The 5D Mark II was replaced by the Canon 5D Mark III, while the D3300 was followed by the Nikon D3400.

Review summary: Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D3300? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II:

Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.

More compact: Is smaller (124x98mm vs 152x114mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.

Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 420g or 49 percent) and is thus easier to take along.

Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (86 percent cheaper at launch).

More modern: Reflects 5 years and 3 months of technical progress since the 5D Mark II launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the D3300 emerges as the winner of the match-up (10 : 8 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision.

5D Mark II 08:10 D3300

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 5D Mark II or the D3300. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews: Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D3300

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). You can find the full text of the reviews by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.